Reserve 10 percent of budget for welfare of children: NGO demands

New Delhi, 9 July-2014(IANS): Despite a manifold rise in the annual budget over the years, the country’s children have not get their fair share of attention, an NGO said Wednesday, demanding 10 percent reservation for children in 2014 budget.

Reserve 10 percent of budget for welfare of children: NGO demands

The annual budget estimates have seen an increase from Rs.8086 crore in 2000-01 to Rs.77,236 crore in 2013-14.

However, when it comes to children, it has remained stagnant at less than six percent for the last six-seven years, NGO CRY said in a statement.”For these policies to effectively function on the ground it is important to reserve adequate budget for children, it said.”

Arguing that children constituted over 40 percent of the country’s population, an average allocation in of 3.95 percent in the period from 2000-2001 – 2013-14 looked absolutely inadequate.

The proportion of budget for children has always remained less than six percent and last year it was 4.64 percent.

The NGO further said the government must take into cognizance that in last few years there have been new schemes and legislations introduced for children like Right to Free and Compulsory Education and National Policy for Children etc.

For these policies to effectively function on the ground it is important to reserve adequate budget for children, it said.

CRY is hopeful that union budget 2014-15 would allot a minimum of 10 percent for the children, it said.